HC strikes down CBI probe into Parui murder case

Kolkata, Dec 3 (PTI) A division bench of the Calcutta High Court today set aside a single bench order for CBI probe into the Parui murder case, in which a district Trinamool Congress leader is an accused in the killing of an independent panchayat member.

The bench comprising justices Jayanta Biswas and I C Das observed that there was no reason for further probe while setting aside the order of Justice Harish Tandon who had ordered a CBI probe into the murder.

The division bench observed that there was no real deficiency in the investigation by the special investigation team (SIT), which had been earlier formed by a single bench.

Justice Tandon had on September 24 directed CBI to probe the Parui murder case after holding that the entire probe by state agencies was tainted with extraneous interference.

The division bench, however, today observed that there cannot be any substitute to evidence and that mere hunch cannot be the basis of any decision.

In his judgement, Justice Tandon had been critical of the role of the state DGP for having given a clean chit to political leaders who were accused of making inflammatory speeches a few days before the murder of Sagar Ghosh, who fought and won as an Independent in the 2013 panchayat polls after being denied a ticket by the ruling TMC.

TMC Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal and another district level leader were among 41 persons named in the FIR lodged by Ghosh’s wife.

He had also observed that it was not expected that the DGP would share a report with any officer or the government pleader when the court was monitoring the progress of the case.